Control of topic movement?

[Learning K]

Hi.  Two separate questions about topic movement:

1.  Is there a way to highlight and move a batch of objects at the same time -- branches, shapes, combos -- or does each have to be moved separately?  I didn't realize how often I used this on NM4 during design (grab a bunch of items by highlighting a group and moving them), but in NM5 each object appears to need separate controls when customizing.  Am I missing something?

2.  Is there a way to predict where other topics will end up when I move one item?  Yesterday I was trying to line up some subtopics as I added new subtopics.  I would get the map the way I wanted it, then add a new subtopic and the other subtopics would move in unpredictable (to me) ways.  Can I place a "hold still" on the map so that I can make a change on the map?  If items must move away from the added subtopic, for example, can I get a beep that the map is going to change?

I know I might be asking for features which do not exist, but I am not sure if I am missing something.  If these questions aren't clear, I will try again.  Thanks. 

[olaf_gy]

Hi Kathy,

the first question, if understood it right, is possible. Hold SHIFT and then mark the topics you want to move. You can mark with the pressed SHIFT an area as well. Than use the Graft from one of the marked topics and move the object.

For the 2. topic I have no solution.

Olaf

[Learning K]

Thanks.  I just tried that.

With SHIFT, I could highlight several or more branches, but then the move/graft handles would only move one branch at a time, even if many were highlighted.  I guess when then are all selected, I can change colors, fonts, etc., but I don't think I can move them except one at a time.  I am just thinking of moving them to the side a bit, or perhaps up or down a bit, not grafting them.

[Gerhard]

Hi Kathy,

you can move a couple of branches simultaneously by using the outline mode. There you mark up the required branches. Then it is possible to move them all together to the place you want to have. You only have to graft them an move (inside the outline mode)

Regards
Gerhard

[olaf_gy]

Hi,

"D" and "E" are selected



graft at "E" is used, NM shows automatically which branches are in the selection



Result, as expected "D" with subtopics and "E" are now under "C"



I hope you can reproduce it.

Olaf

[Learning K]

Thank you.  I learned something and could reproduce this as you explained it.

It doesn't solve my design problem, however, and maybe NM5 is just not designed to allow a simplified maneuver. 

If I highlight several branches on the map, I cannot move them as a group away from their parent topic while leaving other branches closer.  I can do all at the same time by using the inspector "offset" bar.  I can move one at a time by using the handle.  I guess I can graft several as you demonstrated, or rearrange the order of subtopics by moving as a bunch, but the layout appearance stays the same.

Or is there something I am still not seeing?

[WindyCity]

olaf_gy explained how to select multiple topics and move them simultaneously with the graft handle.

I don't believe that NM5 allows the insertion of overlapping topics. In other other words, it's not possible to "freeze" the layout engine to have manual positioning of topics. The system is designed to achieve maximum efficiency in the use of space for the purpose of creating mind maps. Why would a mind map creator want to clutter or confuse his/her design with overlapping topic spaces? NM5 is not a graphic design program; it's purpose is mind mapping.

I find the layout engine to be a vast improvement over NM4 from the perspective of creating mind maps that grow efficiently and elegantly. Its graphic editing tools for adding color, texture, inline graphics, etc., are better than any other mind mapping program's I've looked at. Some recent posts suggest to me that some users would like the program to  behave more like, as examples, OmniGraffle or Adobe Illustrator or Quark. That's just not the sort of application that NM5 aims at. It's for making branching patterns from a central hub that flow out and around the center. That's what mind maps are.

Anyway, it is possible to make NM5 maps look more like, say, a genealogical chart, but that would be silly and a waste of time. There are programs specifically designed for making flow charts, genealogical charts, architectural layouts, circuit diagrams, organization charts, etc. etc. NM5 is for a specific intellectual and creative purpose:  mind mapping.  Perhaps users who expect more or different things from it should review the concept of mind mapping and look at the fine examples provided in the help files.

[Learning K]

Not sure what you are trying to say, Windy City.  I don't know about any of that other stuff, any other programs, etc. 

I just wanted to know if it is possible to offset more than one subtopic at a time (but not all of them) further away from a topic, rather than one at a time.  I am thinking this is not possible, but wasn't sure if I was missing something.  No overlaps in my mind.

[WindyCity]

Hey, Learning K.

Maybe I misunderstood. :-) I was responding to what I interpreted to be requests for how to morph a mind map into designs that look uncognitively cartographically more like the following:

[Patrick]

I just wanted to know if it is possible to offset more than one subtopic at a time (but not all of them) further away from a topic, rather than one at a time.  I am thinking this is not possible, but wasn't sure if I was missing something.  No overlaps in my mind.

You cannot move multiple topics at once. You have to move topics one by one.
You can graft (re-order, re-structure) multiple topics at once. This works both on the outline view and on the Map.

You can move all sub-topics of a topic further away from the topic by changing the layout settings on that topic. This effectively changes the default locations for topics.
To do this use the layout inspector (and select the parent topic) to change the default distance for sub-topics. You can also change the distance between siblings (repel distance).

Hope this helps.

[Learning K]

Thanks, Patrick.  That clarifies what I thought I had learned.  It is not such a difficult job to move one at a time -- I was just feeling lazy.

[WindyCity]

Kathy,

I think it might be possible to write a script to accomplish what you want, but that's beyond my skills at the moment. The script would have to prompt the user to select the topics she wanted to move, measure and map their relative positions, allow her to reposition (by dragging or entering screen coordinates) one of the topics to an anchor spot, and then move the remaining selected topics into the same relative positions as before—all without coming into conflict with NM's layout engine. The amount of work needed to create the script probably wouldn't be worth it, since it just takes seconds to manually move a topic. Anyway, it seems like the functionality you describe would be handy. Maybe you should suggest that the development team look into adding it.

[Learning K]

Thanks.  Takes longer to read how you might do it than move one at a time.

I need to get a feel for the "rules" of the layout engine.  I am often surprised by how radically topics shift out and crossways, up and/or down, with a single change -- a new topic, a moved topic, etc.  Sometimes there is an image in the way, and when I select "ignore in layout", the moved items will move back.  Not always.  Not even with command-Z.  Fortunately I am a well trained "if you like it, save it now" user and can go back to the last saved version.

Since the drawing was redone, more of the topic movement is predictable to me.  And I can have my beloved "waterfall" subtopic arrangement -- which in NM5 is actually easier to create than NM4.  I just move the top one the way I want it and all the others move with it.

Well, I guess the original question is put to rest.  Thanks for helping.